Last year, the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) launched the Registered Pool Maintenance and Service Technician Apprenticeship Program to help build a more skilled and diverse workforce and expand the workforce of service professionals in the aquatics industry. As a registered apprenticeship program, this program has been validated by the U.S. Department of Labor and provides employers access to larger talent pools.
Free to PHTA members, the program will help close the skills gap in the pool and hot tub industry by allowing individuals to earn wages while receiving hands-on training to successfully fill the need for skilled service technicians and maintenance professionals.
“Now more than ever, the pool industry is seeking a workforce to keep up with the demand of our products and services,” said PHTA President and CEO Sabeena Hickman, CAE. “The PHTA Registered Pool Maintenance and Service Technician Apprenticeship Program will expand opportunities to reskill displaced workers, upskill incumbent workers, and develop new entrants to the workforce.”
“We are excited to offer our industry the opportunity to develop a skilled and educated workforce, through our apprenticeship program,” said PHTA Chairman of the Board Franceen Gonzales. “In partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, we will deliver a program that exceeds our members’ expectations and creates a new funnel of talented and trained employees.”
The Apprenticeship Program is a nationwide program, registered with the U.S. Department of Labor, allowing the pool and spa profession to be more competitive with other industries that are also struggling for entry-level talent. And, because the PHTA apprenticeship program uses industry-developed competency and ANSI-approved standards developed by PHTA, employers and apprentices are assured that the program delivers the content needed to develop qualified service professionals.
The Apprenticeship Program will leverage PHTA’s signature educational programming, aligned to its ANSI Standards and certifications, to cultivate pool service professionals who will be equipped to service and maintain aquatic environments. Upon completion of the program, apprentices will be eligible to take the exam for the PHTA certifications. By combining paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction, apprentices receive a skills-based education that prepares them for good-paying jobs – and helps you recruit, build, and retain a highly-skilled workforce.
For more information and resources on the PHTA Apprenticeship Program, visit apprenticeship.phta.org.
